#thick-knee

This family contains just 10 species in 3 genera (Hesperoburhinus, Burhinus, and Esacus)

Peruvian Thick-Knee!

Ah the “elusive” hoopoe, also known as “Hud Hud”. I say elusive because they were all over the place except for when I had the zoom lens. As a result, just two mediocre photos despite seeing dozens of them, often fairly nearby. The second set of birds are Thick-knees, which have, uh, thick... knees... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More importantly though look at that eye! It is clear that they held only disdain for me and my photography efforts.

These thick-knees are found in a band across central Africa, as well as along the Nile river. Usually hunting at night, they eat small invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, and small mammals. Pairs nest alone, except for along the Nile, where they form loose colonies. Usually breeding before the rainy season, they build shallow scrape nests on the ground, sometimes on small islands or rooftops.

These thick-knees are found in a patchy range through much of South and Southeast Asia, as well as southern Iran. Their diet is made up of crabs and other crustaceans, as well as some insects. They are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to nest predation by dogs, disturbances from humans and domestic animals, and habitat loss.

These thick-knees are found near water in parts of central and southern Africa. They eat crustaceans, insects, mollusks, worms, amphibians, millipedes, and grass seeds, feeding mostly at night in pairs or small flocks. During the non-breeding season they may form flocks of 30 or more birds. Nesting solitarily or in small, loose colonies, they lay their eggs in scrapes in the ground on sandbanks, shorelines, or islets.